Contents

Plot

Summary

Nia and Tess form a step dance squad to take down the school’s reigning champs, but their friendship is tested when they can’t agree on how the team should be run.[2]

Full Plot

The Red Hot Chili Steppers dance group led by Zeena announces that they will be holding auditions the next day for new members to join the prestigious dance crew. Nia and Tess spend that evening practicing. On the auditions day, Zeena welcomes all the prospective dancers but scares some of them off by asking them if they really have what it takes. She asks them to perform the Steppers' choreo and whoever does a misstep is out.

During the routine, Zeena eliminates all the dancers except Tess and Nia. She tells them that they have what it takes. However, she tells them that there's only spot for one. So, they have to choose which one will become a Chili Stepper. Neither Nia nor Tess wants to take the opportunity if the other isn't on the team. So, Nia talks to Raven about it. Raven asks her if there isn't another group they could join together with Tess. This gives Nia an idea to start a new dance crew with Tess to challenge the Red Hot Chili Steppers.

On the next day at school, the girls start looking for dancers. Luckily, Booker has been having sleep-visions. Levi had recorded him talking about some girl with a purple hat in the gym who is a really good dancer. So, they go to the gym to look for the girl in Booker's vision. It's Taylor who had run away scared from the Chili Steppers audition. Before they can talk to Taylor, Zeena comes over to ask them if they've decided which one will become a Chili Stepper. At that point, they reveal their plan to start a new dance crew with Taylor and other Chili Steppers rejects. Taylor gets scared and runs off again because she's afraid of performing on stage. However, Nia and Tess trick her into coming to the Raven's apartment for practice.

Just before starting their practices, Tess starts to question why Nia is the one leading the dance. This leads to an argument as each one of them tries to argue that their dance routine is better. Nia insists on precision while Tess wants swag. As the two girls' fight escalates, Taylor runs off. That night, Nia goes to Booker's bedroom and sits on his bed to vent about her fight with Tess. She decides to join the Chili Steppers and let Tess lead their new dance team. The next day, she goes to Zeena but realizes that Tess had the same plan as well. Zeena reveals to them that she's already filled their spot with Taylor. After that the girls' fight gets worse as they end their friendship.

Booker gets a sleep-vision that Nia and Tess are going to lose but he doesn't know how to break it to them. After telling Levi and Raven about it, Raven decides to help the girls work together by putting them in a two-person costume and forcing them to dance in it. Zeena calls to reveal to them that she has stolen all of their dancers and added them into the Red Hot Chili Steppers. Nevertheless, they don't give up.

On the competition day, The Red Hot Chili Steppers perform a wonderful, unified dance routine. Zeena says they should be crowned winners since there's no one else but Nia and Tess show up on stage the last minute. The story behind Tess and Nia's performance is inspired by their fight about what's better - precision or swag. The lights dim and they enter into the two-person costume to perform together. Their performance is going well until Raven starts trying to get rid of a fly. She inadvertently finds herself on stage, causing chaos which causes Nia and Tess to lose balance and fall on their back. Needless to say, they lose the competition. Zeena and the Red Hot Chili Steppers maintain their status as the school's reigning dance champions.

After that, Tess and Nia admit that even though they didn't win the dance competition, they won something more important - their friendship.